News On Japan
November 04, 2025
China’s Foreign Ministry announced that it will extend visa-free entry for Japan, France, and 43 other countries until the end of December 2026, as the government seeks to attract more overseas investment and tourists amid a prolonged economic slowdown.
Image of China Extends Visa-Free Entry for Japan

The Tenpyo Procession, in which participants don splendid period costumes and visit Todaiji Temple, was held in Nara on November 3rd. The event commemorates Emperor Shomu, who commissioned the construction of the Great Buddha, and Empress Komyo, known for her devotion to Buddhism.

Japan’s record-breaking bear crisis has entered a new and deadly phase, with authorities confirming that a 79-year-old woman missing in Akita Prefecture was found dead in the mountains, believed to be the 13th fatality from bear attacks this year.


SOCIETY | November 04, 2025
A police officer responding to a traffic accident in Hyogo Prefecture died after falling from a bridge on November 3rd in Nishinomiya City, with authorities investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Image of Police Officer Dies After Falling From Bridge in Nishinomiya

A woman armed with a knife was subdued by police after causing a disturbance inside a movie theater in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district on November 2nd.

Police in Yokohama are investigating a possible case of corpse abandonment after a headless and partially dismembered body was found floating near Yamashita Park.

A suspicious package was discovered at Keihan Railway’s Chushojima Station in Kyoto on November 1st, prompting police to investigate the possibility of an explosive device.

A truck that had fallen into a river in the town of Okoppe on the Sea of Okhotsk side of Hokkaido was found on the morning of November 2nd, with the body of a man discovered inside.


Local authorities in Shari, a town in Hokkaido, are seeking donations to preserve and promote an old Japan National Railways bridge that has been registered as a national tangible cultural property.
Image of Preserving Hokkaido’s Lost Wartime Bridge

The opening ceremony of the annual Osaka Festival of Lights was held on November 3rd along Midosuji, Osaka’s main street, transforming the city’s nightscape with dazzling illuminations as trees lining the boulevard glowed with countless lights.

Autumn foliage has reached its peak along the Irohazaka winding road in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, where maple, beech, and azalea trees are glowing in shades of red and yellow as streams of cars carrying tourists move slowly up the scenic route.

[03:00] Typhoon No. 25 (Kalmaegi) is currently located east of the Philippines and moving westward. It is expected to intensify while passing near the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and approaching Vietnam. Meteorological agencies say there will be no direct impact on Japan.

Tokyo’s JR Yamanote Line marked the 100th anniversary of becoming a full loop around the city center in the Taisho era. The circular operation, which connects the capital’s major districts and links suburban private railways to terminal stations, laid the foundation for Tokyo’s urban development.


The sound of classical music echoed along Naha’s Kokusai Street when the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra held a surprise outdoor performance, drawing loud applause from passersby.
Image of Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra Performs on Kokusai Street

Set sail for adventure! Go behind the scenes with the Straw Hats and creators of One Piece S2 as they prepare to enter the Grand Line. (Netflix Anime)

At just 15, Rino, a third-year junior high school student from Kansai, has spent the past two years chasing her dream of becoming a K-pop idol. Inspired by her brother Keita, a member of the Korean boy group EVNNE, she has been training intensively in dance and language in hopes of debuting in South Korea rather than Japan.

The recipients of this autumn’s Medals of Honor have been announced, with film director Junji Sakamoto, known for works such as 'A Chorus of Angels,' received the Medal with Purple Ribbon, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the fields of art, culture, and sports.


JR Tokai has unveiled to the press the interior of its new Linear Chuo Shinkansen test train, the M10, currently undergoing trial runs. To reduce noise, the ceiling is covered with a membrane that also functions as a projection screen displaying scenery and maps.

The cost of hosting the 2026 Asian and Asian Para Games, to be held mainly in Nagoya, is expected to exceed three times the original estimate, according to officials familiar with the matter.

AI technology is reshaping global defense strategies at an unprecedented pace. From drones that can identify and strike targets independently to systems that plan missions using real-time data, the boundaries of human control are being tested.

In the small hours, when most of the city is asleep and the last trains have already rolled into depots, a different shift begins as “midnight workers” keep daily life stitched together—from a leak surveyor crouched on a silent road in Yokohama to a one-man neighborhood Chinese kitchen in Tokyo that serves until dawn and a Shimbashi bento shop that turns out more than 700 box lunches a day.


BUSINESS | November 04, 2025
Farmers across western Japan are facing mounting losses from the growing population of nutria, large semi-aquatic rodents originally brought from South America. Once imported for their fur, the animals have become a major agricultural pest, chewing through crops and spreading rapidly into urban areas.
Image of Nutria Infestation Expands Across Western Japan, Farmers Ravaged

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Eniwa City, Hokkaido, prompting authorities to begin culling operations on Sunday afternoon.

Condominium prices show little sign of cooling as even secondhand units in central Tokyo are routinely listed above 100 million yen, with a recent survey indicating the average price of new condominiums launched in the 23 wards in the first half of this fiscal year reached about 133.09 million yen and resale units have exceeded 100 million yen for five consecutive months, underscoring a market in which construction and labor costs have jumped, demand has spilled over into used stock, and buyers are being urged to scrutinize properties more carefully.

The Nikkei Stock Average closed at a record high of 52,411 yen on October 31st, up 1,085 yen from the previous day, marking the first time in history it has ended above the 52,000-yen level. This is the third consecutive day the index has reached a new all-time closing high.

In a quiet neighborhood of Osaka stands a four-story building with around 40 rooms. Yet more than 100 companies are registered there, despite the absence of any visible workers.